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Steve Hixson
CLEVELAND, Tenn. (November 28) - Winning the first race of the season, THE TARHEEL TIGER Ray Cook capped-off 2009, just like he started it, some 11-months later, winning the 20th edition of the GRANT ADCOX MEMORIAL. Saturday night the D&R Motorsports # 53 "Hicks & Ingle Co., A+ Moving & Storage" sponsored MasterSbilt / Race Engine Design powered machine led the final 31-circuits of 40 lap, $4,000. to-WIN Southern Regional Racing series race, at Cleveland Speedway when early race leader Skip Arp fell from contention. At racetime, Saturday afternoon 40-Super Late Model raceteams from 5-states entered the event including the 2009 S.R.R.S. Champ Jay Brinkley of Shelbyville, TN. Cook topped group qualifying clocking a 14:498 as the first car out on the track. At the conclusion of the race Cook was trailed by 2009 O'SAS Champ Randy THE DREAM Weaver at the checkers with local racer Riley Hickman following to finish 3rd.
"This is really GREAT!!!" claimed Cook from CAR SMART Auto Sales Victory Lane. "Winning the first (ICE BOWL) and last race of the season. It's even better since both my car owners are here tonight. We won one of these Grant Adcox races some years back and it's real special." Cook continued acknowledging Herb Adcox (father to the late NASCAR racer) and his continued support to the sportsmanship of auto racing in general, and concluding by thanking the LORD and family and friends. Cook's eleven (11) wins came spanning North and South of the MASON/DIXON LINE and was highlighted with the $41,000 HILLBILLY 100 victory in West Virginia. The Cleveland (TN) Speedway win was the first and was almost spoiled by Arp, whom nearly obtained a 1-2-3 finish during Monty Morrow's NOVEMBER TO REMEMBER 3-race stretch. Arp did get the bonus $1,000. from CAR SMART Auto Sales with the highest point amount of the 3-races.
In preliminary action four (4) B-Main last chance races staged the groups from qualifying. Jake Knowles (winner of Cleveland Speedway's most recent S.R.R.S. event, won B-Main # 1 over Steve Smith. Kevin Gibson and Corey Posey also transferred. In B-Main #2 it was the DITCH-DIGGER Derek Ellis on top with Rick Hixson, Tommy Bailey and Jacob Grizzle following. B-Main #3 was won by Brian Smith. Todd Morrow transferred as did Caleb Ashby. And in the fourth and final B-Main it was Jay Brinkley winning over Dan Tipton and Preston Graves. A DQ was handed out by S.R.R.S officials to Mike Hill whom qualified 4th fastest, but was deemed to have bad tires. Using provisional starts to make the 24-car field were Josh Putnam and Tony Morris.
At the drop of the green-flag disaster struck again (as during the GOBBLER last Saturday) as THE MILKMAN Mike Weeks got sideways on the back-stretch. On the subsequent do-over restart, THE SKIPPER took command with Cook trailing. Lil' John Owenby seemed to be firing on all cylinders and would move to the runner-up spot when Arp stalled on the 9th go-round. Weaver showed his muscle on the restart and Owenby fired back a slider to reclaim the #2 spot momentarily. The two (2) tangled again down the back-stretch and Owenby would wind up in the wall and done for the night. With a few miner cautions, Cook caught back-marker traffic around the halfway point, as Top 5 racers Lamar Scoggins and Jake Knowles tangled in turn 3. Hooked together both racers ended their nights prematurely. Late in the going, David Payne and Brinkley would tussle for 6th, as upfront Hickman worked on Weaver. Despite being caught up in a few incidents Weeks held off Rick Hixson for fourth after the final yellow was strewn for a Tommy Bailey / Steve & Brian (no relation) Smith's crash in turn 2 on lap 36.
Official Finish (11/28/09)
20TH GRANT ADCOX MEMORIAL
40 Laps / $4,000 to-WIN
1. Ray Cook (# 53) of Brasstown, NC
2. Randy Weaver (# 116) of Crossville, TN
3. Riley Hickman (# A19) of Ooltewah, TN
4. Mike Weeks (# 22) of Friendsville, TN
5. Rick Hixson (# 16) of Soddy Daisy, TN
6. Jay Brinkley (# 10) of Shelbyville, TN
7. Derek Ellis (# 99) of Chatsworth, GA
8. Tommy Bailey (# 11) of Corbin, KY
9. Dan Tipton (# 12T) of Kingston, TN
10. Corey Posey (# 16) of Petersburg, TN
11. Kevin Gibson (# M45) of Ringgold, GA
12. David Payne (# 8) of Murphy, NC
13. Preston Graves (# 105) of Murphy, NC
14. Tony Morris (# M31) of Murfreesboro, TN
15. Brian Smith (# 7) of Knoxville, TN
16. Steve Smith (# 3) of Powell, TN
17. Jacob Grizzle (# 99G) of Blairesville, GA
18. Lamar Scoggins (# 32) of Cleveland, TN
19. Caleb Ashby (# 61) of Cunningham, TN
20. Jake Knowles (# 66) of Tyrone, GA
21. John Owenby (# 48) of Cleveland, TN
22. Todd Morrow (# 16) of East Ridge, TN
23. Josh Putnam (# 212) of Killen, AL
24. Skip Arp (# 97) of Georgetown, TN
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